


Arya, known as Arry the orphan

by KexHarington



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Mulan (1998)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, No idea what I'm doing, Pregnancy, Resurrection, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-09 20:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5553440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KexHarington/pseuds/KexHarington
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the wights return and Ned Stark is beheaded Arya finds herself on the wall along with Gendry, Jon &co. As a girl and sworn brother of the night's watch she cannot be exposed. That would mean death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue/Arya

**Author's Note:**

> When I started to write this, I was going to write almost everything about Arya/Gendry, with a little touch of Mulan in it. Things changed as I wrote and now it's going to be about the battle of the dawn, which is why I included Dany and the dragons.
> 
> This is the first fanfiction I publish and I'm new with Ao3 so I'm not sure how everything works. Hope you can forgive me for it:) I'm not sure when I should use warnings and such stuff so.. please help me with that:D Also, english is NOT my mother tongue. Normally I speak swedish so my english is not the best!
> 
> I Want to thank my best friends who encouraged me to write and publish it here. Thanks a lot to you (If you ever read it)!

Arya known as Arry the orphan  
Chapter 1 Arya

_“My name is not Arry, it’s Arya of House Stark”.  
The boy’s – the girl’s, Gendry had to remind himself - voice was pathetic and weak, yet he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl. Arya clearly was a girl, everybody could see it, and she wasn't aloud here. How could Gendry not have seen it before? It was obvious! Maybe he was as stupid as she'd always said he was... And now she was exposed. Who knew what would happen to her now, with no one to save her?_

The man marched on top of the wall. He looked for wildlings and returning brothers. Far away he could see torches of other men on guard duty. It was a cold night, as usual in the far north. Below him he heard the sound of galloping hooves. It must be Bannen, he thought. Bannen was one of his brother who had been sent out with a scouting-party. Another brother blew the horn to announce their brother’s return. He stood on the wall when he heard the strange noise. He turned around. It was Bannen who returned, although it wasn’t Bannen. He should be dead; his right arm was gone and he had a dagger through his stomach. And his eyes… his eyes were blue as sapphires and cold as ice. Bannen reached for the man’s throat and squeezed. The man couldn’t do anything but kick, and it didn’t help. Not even when the dead man was stabbed with a dagger he reacted. The brother on guard duty was near death when Bannen suddenly let go of his throat. Bannen screamed and fell to the ground, rolled on the ice, covered with flames. Behind him stood another, living, brother with a torch. Quickly they lit the fire next to them to warn the other brothers. A few moments later the fires next to theirs were lit and soon there were fires everywhere on the wall.

Arya sat on her bed, admiring her sword; Needle. A kitten sat next to her. Arya wished she had Nymeria, but they had chased the direwolf away to stop the queen from killing her. Not even her sister Sansa had her direwolf left. When they couldn’t find Nymeria they killed Lady instead. All Arya had left now was the kitten she had named Syrax. Jory had given it to her after Nymeria had disappeared. Arya was worried, her father had been attacked on the streets and he was badly injured. From her bed near the window she could see the gardens. She had never been there, that was things Sansa liked. And she could actually see her beautiful sister sitting with her ladies maids and Septa Mordane.  
“Shit!” she called out and jumped up from her bed. She should be there on her lesson now! And here she sat, still dressed in her _stupid_ nightgown. As fast as she could she put on a dress but she didn’t have the time to make her hair. She ran down to the gardens.  
Her sister and her ladies stared at her when she came running. Sansa’s best friend, Jeyne Poole, even laughed. Septa Mordane looked very displeased.  
“You’re late, Lady Arya.” She said.  
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again!” she promised. And then she quietly added “I don’t want to be a lady.” Jeyne and two other girls heard her and laughed even more. Sansa didn’t laugh, instead she seemed ashamed of her sister’s appearance. She looked down on her embroidery instead of facing Arya’s gaze.  
“Really young lady! You must learn to sew properly. Well, you need to learn dancing, curtsying and singing too.” Said Septa Mordane. “Not to mention dress properly, have you seen your hair young Lady?” she continued.  
Arya sat down and took the embroidery from the septa. Far away they saw a man, completely dressed in black, riding through on of the gates.  
“What does a man of the night’s watch doing in King’s Landing?” asked Sansa curiously.  
Their septa didn’t want them to go, but the girls insisted. New gossip was always welcomed, and perhaps the man brought news from Winterfell. Arya hoped that the man would be Jon Snow, their bastard brother. 

It wasn’t Jon. It was an old man with dark, greasy hair. His name was Yoren. The king had gathered them all in the throne room. Yoren brought disturbing news from the wall. He claimed that men of the watch was dead, but walked and fought anyway. No one believed him, not until Yoren showed a hand, a hand from one of the dead men. It was blackened and clearly it came from a dead man. Everyone gasped and was very shocked. Wights hadn’t been seen for hundreds of years. The ladies asked their husbands if this meant that the white walkers had returned as well. The husbands calmed their ladies and said that white walkers only existed in stories. Still, they had all seen the dead man’s hand. King Robert declared that every able man should be headed to the wall to defend the realm. Afterwards Arya would hear people say that this was the only good decision he did as king. Every lord and lady promised to do as he bid, and it was decided that orphan boys in Flea Bottom would be sent as well. Arya was a lord's daughter, a she-wolf, so she wasn't afraid. In fact, she'd welcome a chance to fight some wights. Not that she would ever get that chance of course. She would be stuck in King's Landing with Sansa, septa Mordane and those stupid sewing needles. And... as soon as the gathering was done she would have to go with Sansa and her giggling highborn lady-friends to a dancing lesson. She hated dancing. And singing, and everything else ladies did. 

_Arya's was filled with thoughts about stupid ladies and stupid dances. She had no idea how life was for some. But in time she would eventually find out. The good things. And the bad._


	2. Arya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The recruits travel to the wall. Arya discovers the problem with being a highborn girl who pose as a boy from Fleabottom. She meets Sam and they start their training.

Arya was scared. More scared than she’d been her entire life. Her father had been executed just moments ago outside the sept of Baelor. Now she had nothing left in the capital but her sister, who was a captive. Yoren, the man who’d talked in front of the king and convinced everyone that the wights had returned, had taken her from there and cut off her hair. Now it was short as a boy’s. She was dressed as a boy too, and stood among a group of boys. They all looked on her, laughed at her and pushed her. Not that she did care, of course. She had her Needle, and Yoren watched over them all, made sure they didn’t kill each other and such. They were headed for the wall. At first Arya wanted to go back to Winterfell, to her mother and brothers, but then she changed her mind. She wanted to go to the wall instead, to fight. At the wall no one cared if you were a boy or girl. Well, they cared but once you’d taken your vows you was in and couldn’t leave. And of course she wanted to see Jon Snow again.

Among all those who were going to the wall there were three about the same age as Arya, just a few years older. She didn’t know their names, but one carried a bullhead- helmet, one was fat, and one had green hands. She stayed near them, although the fat one bullied her all the time. They left the city behind them. Slept beneath the stars if it was clear, and the clouds if it rained. She got to know the men. There was Karter, who hated fighting, and Derrick who only ate when they were served rabbit (which made him the thinnest man Arya had ever seen). Yoren soon taught him to eat other things, the only thing he had to do was run some beetles down Derrick’s throat and force him to swallow them. Arya actually became friends with the three boys. The one with the helmet was named Gendry, the fat one was Hot Pie. He earned his name because he used to walk around in King’s Landing and shout “Hot Pies” all day long. The last of them were Lommy Greenhands, he was a dyers apprentice before. When they asked for Arya’s name she told them she was Arry the orphan, because that’s what Yoren told her to say.

She started to enjoy this life, always outside, and no one knowing she was a highborn lady. Everything went perfect, she even dreamed about sneaking off to Winterfell for one night, just to visit her brothers. It was only the thought of her father that disturbed her, but soon she’d see Jon again. And she had new friends, completely different from those stupid highborn girls Sansa spent time with. They laughed, screamed and used words that in the beginning shocked Arya, but soon she talked about cocks and cunts like everybody else. It made her fit in even better. Every day they spent a few hours training. Arya knew a little about sword fighting, her dancing master had taught her, but it was only the water dancing she knew, and it didn’t help much when Gendry attacked her with a warhammer in each hand. No, she needed to fight like the other men. At least she was better off than Hot Pie and Lommy who’d never hold a sword their entire life. Her swordplay was okay, but she wasn’t a good archer nor a good spearman. But it took them months to reach the wall, and as the time passed they all got better. Soon she knocked most of the men down in the dirt. The skinny Derrick wasn’t that skinny anymore, not since he’d been forced to eat, and he turned out to be an excellent fighter. 

After they passed Moat Cailin some of the men came down with a sickness. Only a few were infected, but those who were died only days after. Yoren was one of them. Lommy too. Arya sat with him when he died. She wanted to cry, but she’d once heard her oldest brother say that boys don’t cry, so she wouldn’t do it either. She thought that Yoren’s death would make the men scatter and leave, but they only seemed more determined. Tired and hungry they stumbled through the north till one day, when they saw the wall.

It was a pretty sight. Pretty in a horrible way. The ice sparkled like diamonds in the sunshine. As they came closer Arya wondered if Jon would recognise her. It would be best if he didn’t; Jon was as honourable as her father had been and he would tell everyone she was a girl straight away. When they saw the wall Hot Pie almost started to cry because he had heard that there wasn’t much food there. Gendry was just happy to finally be there, he was tired of walking around in the middle of nowhere and besides Arya started to annoy him very much. Since she was smaller than him he didn’t hit her even when he wanted to. It was lucky they didn’t know that Arya was a girl. If they knew they would do worse than hit her, except for Gendry and Hot Pie. They would never hurt her.

When they reached Castle Black it was already dark. They were shown to some pelts on the floor where they could sleep. Arya didn’t think it would be a big problem, everyone slept covered in warm clothes and pelts so no one would discover that she didn’t’ have a cock. But it soon became a problem. In the middle of the night Arya needed to pee. She was going outside when she heard a voice.  
“Where are you going Arry?” It was Gendry. It seemed as he’d lain awake just as she had.   
“I need to take a piss.” She answered quietly, trying not to wake someone else.  
“Well there is a privy over there… why don’t you use it?”  
“I always went outside in King’s Landing. I intend to do it here as well.” She said and the discussion was done. Usually Arya decided when they were done talking.

Outside it was dark and cold. She regretted her decision in going out, but what else could she do? If she used the privy everyone would see she was a girl. A fat man suddenly stood behind her.  
“Who are you?” he said. Arya froze.   
“I’m Arry the orphan. I’m one of the new recruits.” She answered. Then she turned around. Beside the fat man stood a big, white wolf.  
“Ghost” Arya whispered for herself.  
“What did you say, little boy?” asked the fat with a curious tone.  
“Nothing. What’s your name?” she said, only to change subject.  
“I’m Samwell Tarly of Horn Hill.” The man said proudly. “I mean I was of Horn Hill. Now I’m a sworn brother of the night’s watch. But you’ve probably never heard of Horn Hill or house Tarly so I guess it doesn’t matter. You can call me Sam, if you like.”   
Of course Arya had heard of house Tarly and Horn Hill. The lord was Randyll Tarly. They were from the Reach, their liege lord was Lord Mace Tyrell. House Tarly’s banner was a huntsman, red on green, and their words were “First in battle”. Arya was proud that she remembered what master Luwin had told her. She didn’t tell Samwell all this of course, it would be strange if an orphan from Flea Bottom knew everything about house Tarly.   
“What are you doing out here at night? Haven’t you heard of the wights? Lord Commander Mormont led a party beyond the wall. There was a mutiny and lord commander died. I escaped, but I was the only one. And some of us weren’t even there. My friend Jon were somewhere up in the Frostfangs.” When Arya heard that she quickly understood that ‘Jon’ must be her brother. She opened her mouth but Sam didn’t notice and continued talking. ”He hasn’t come back yet. I hope he’s alright.”  
Arya looked at him with big interest. She hoped he would keep talking about Jon, but he didn’t. He only asked what she was doing outside once again.  
“I need to take a piss.” She said simply. If she thought that saying that would make Sam leave she was wrong.  
“You don’t talk like a boy from… Fleabottom I suppose. You talk like a highborn lordling, except from ‘take a piss’.” Sam said, apparently he didn’t realise the boy in front of him didn’t want to talk. Arya hadn’t thought about how she spoke so that was like a punch in the stomach. Maybe everyone knew who she was only because of how she spoke? Suddenly Sam seemed to remember why Arya was here and stopped talking, but not before he had asked:  
“Why don’t you use the privy?”  
Arya repeated what she said to Gendry about privies and then she walked away.

The next day their training started. After weeks in the wilderness with lots of time to practise, Arya was getting pretty good at fighting. Hot Pie was an easy match, no matter how long he practised he didn’t get any better. Gendry was something completely different. Not only was he almost twice Arya’s size, he was a really good fighter. As soon as he got a sword in his hand, or those warhammers he seemed to love, he changed. Became someone else. He wasn’t Gendry from Fleabottom anymore, he was more dangerous, older and bigger, and something else. Arya couldn’t quite put her finger on it. 

The man who trained them was called ser Alliser Thorne. He didn’t seem to like Arya, but then again, he didn’t seem to like anyone else either so she didn’t take it too personal. Behind them a few already sworn brothers watched them. Arya recognised on of them, the fat Sam. Beside them stood a big, white wolf. Jon’s wolf; Ghost. She hadn’t seen it since she went to King’s Landing, and now it was much bigger. She wondered what Nymeria looked like now, or if she was still alive. Sam and his brothers laughed and made jokes about the recruits.  
“Well, Lady Piggy, you’re not that good yourself. Why don’t you come here and show us how you fight? I’m sure…” The rest of ser Alliser’s words was drowned in the screams of men. Ghost had taken a few steps towards the recruits, who now screamed and tried to get away from the direwolf. Arya wasn’t afraid, she had had a direwolf of her own once. Ghost seemed to recognise her because he jumped onto her and licked her in the face. Arya laughed and the screams disappeared and left was only silence. The silence of men who looked at Arya with disbelief. She stood up and they all stared at her. She heard Sam whisper to his friends that Ghost didn’t do that to anyone except Jon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know that they didn't make it to the wall in the series/books but I'm a huge Gendrya-shipper so I have to change the story so that they can be together. I also love Jon/Ygritte, Dany/Jorah, Jaime/Brienne, Sansa/the Hound, (And almost every other relationship) so I'll change their story as well... Next chapter will probably be Jon's PoV.


	3. Jon Snow

He didn’t believe everything that had happened since he left the wall. He had been to Craster’s keep, to the fist, then he had taken a wildling captive. They had taken him captive and made him one of them. The most marvellous thing he’d done was to climb the wall. Now he was on his way home to Castle Black again. He wasn’t alone however. 

“Jon Snow? How long till we get back to yer stone castle?” 

She could be a pain in the ass, but he loved her all the same. And at least he thought she loved him. So it seemed and so she said.

“A few days, I think.” He answered.  
“You think?” she said as sceptically as usual.  
“Shut up.” He said, but he knew she wouldn’t take him seriously. She never did. That was Ygritte in a nutshell. “There is another castle. I think it’s the Nightfort, looks big enough.” He said.  
“Well why don’t we stay there, instead of keep going?” she asked. He told her that it was abandoned. She shook her head and asked why they would abandon a place like this.  
“It was too big to maintain.” He said and she shook her head once again.  
“This is why you shouldn’t live in stone castles. You can’t stay there.”

That time it was Jon’s turn to shake his head and laugh at her. Ygritte didn’t like people laughing at her so she punched him in the ribs. He didn’t punch her back, instead he pulled her towards him and kissed her lightly on the nose. Her first response was to punch him again, but then she kissed him back.  
“What do you think they will say?” she asked. It was hard for Jon to think since she was pulling his surcoat. 

“About what?” he asked confused.  
“You know…” she answered, but not as direct as usual. She almost sounded shy, if that was possible. He knew what she meant.  
“Well, they will have to live with it I suppose…” he said and shrugged his shoulders. She imitated his voice and repeated his words. She always did that and she always laughed afterwards.

They slept little that night. One reason was that they didn’t dare, another was that Ygritte wouldn’t let Jon sleep. When she thought it was too quiet she started talking, and she didn’t stop until Jon kissed her and, sometimes, had sex with her. Jon gladly agreed to do it, he had learned the hard way it was best to do as she wanted. When he once tried to defy her she’d tried to kill him. When Ygritte finally allowed him to sleep he dreamed of that moment. It wasn’t the first time, it was a dream he dreamed over and over again.

“Ygritte you know I didn’t have a choice. You always knew who I was, what I am. I have to go home now.” He looked at her with sadness both in his eyes and in his voice. ”I know you won’t hurt me.” He wasn’t sure she wouldn’t harm him but he hoped she loved him as much as he loved her. Her response was to not lower her bow   
“You know nothing Jon Snow.” She whispered. Jon wasn’t sure but he thought he saw tears in her eyes. He chuckled when he heard her words. She always said that. She was right sometimes, but not today.  
“I do know some things. I know I love you.” Now he was sure there were tears in her eyes. “I know you love me. I have to go home now.” He was going to turn around, but he couldn’t. “Come with me.” He said instead. She stared at him with disbelief.  
“What?!”  
He laughed, which made her angry. He stopped laughing quickly when she saw her eyes narrowing.  
“Come with me to Castle Black.” He said, starting to believe he would do it when he saw her eyes. They weren’t full of anger anymore.  
“But you’re a crow.” She said, still suspicious. He smiled at her, waiting. She lowered her bow and walked towards him. Jon had never before felt so happy… until Ygritte punched him hard in the stomach, and then again and again, until he fell to the ground.  
“You…You can’t just say something like that and then expect me to forgive you! I’m seriously going to kill you, and then…” she didn’t get a chance to finish talking because Jon interrupted.  
“…You’ll cut my cock off and wear it ‘round your neck. I know.” He said, smiling at her. She kicked him. He reached for her arm, and dragged her down on the ground. She screamed but he silenced her with a kiss. She bit his lip instead of kissing back.  
“Ow!” he screamed. Then she started to laugh.  
“Now THAT was for leaving me and scaring the shit out o me!” It was in that moment he knew everything was alright and that she would forgive him. And then he felt something punching his head. 

“Jon! Wake up!” Ygritte whispered.  
“Just five minutes!”  
“No! Not five minute, now! You have to wake up, there are people over there.” She said with panic in her voice. “And they’re coming here!”  
He quickly sat up and looked at the men. They were five and had horses. Chances of escape was close to none. He stood up and waved his hands and shouted.  
“What are you doing Jon?” Ygritte whispered.  
“Just play along.” He whispered back. Ygritte shook her head and he could almost hear her say ‘you know nothing Jon Snow’. 

The men came walking towards him. They was taller than Jon, but skinnier. They don’t look like they know how to fight, he thought. With his sword and Ygritte’s bow they might have a chance to win if it came to fight.

“Help!” he shouted. “We’re lost!” 

The five men came closer and looked suspiciously at them. Jon realised he recognised them; they were his black brothers. They didn’t recognise him. Jon found it very strange that they didn’t wear black, they wore grey and brown. Jon’s eyes narrowed. 

“Do you know the way to… to…?” Jon couldn’t come up with a good place to go to. Luckliy- or not- Ygritte helped him by mentioning a place he’d once told her about. She had been so impressed when he told her stories, about the marble towers and how it was built in the mountains, almost impossible to take. Unfortunately it was too far away but apparently she’d forgotten that.

“To the Eyrie!” she shouted, looking proud. Jon sighed and would have kicked her if it had been possible to do it without the men noticing. The men muttered to each other.  
“The Eyrie is far away from here, and good damn impossible to miss if you are going there.” Said one of them. He was the tallest and skinniest man of them all, yet he acted as the leader.  
“Right… here is the thing. It’s quite embarrassing, but we were going to the Eyrie, but the cart we lifted with went to the wall instead. We really should be going. Right, come along, love!” he said, the former to the men and the latter to Ygritte. He took her hand and they turned around.  
“Hang on!” shouted one of the men. “I know you! You’re Lord Snow!”

Jon turned back around with his hand on the sword hilt. 

“And that’s your wildling bitch, eh?” said another. Jon didn’t get the time to draw his sword before Ygritte jumped around with a dagger in her hand. Jon didn’t even know she had a dagger. She screamed and stabbed one of the men in the gut. It wasn’t until one of them snatched the dagger from her Jon reacted. He grabbed Longclaw and cut the man who took the dagger from Ygritte. She had her bow raised and an arrow notched. 

Soon the five men lay on the ground with their blood running cold. Jon looked at them. Ygritte came to stand beside him. She placed her head on his shoulder and whispered “I’m sorry. I know they were your brothers.”

“No they weren’t. Not anymore.” He replied sadly.  
“Yeah, they are dead and you are a not a crow anymore.”  
“That’s not what I meant. They didn’t wear black, they were deserters.”

She watched him a while and then she took his hand and they continued walking towards the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only had to have a chapter with the cutest couple in GoT! :) Next chapter will probably be back at the wall, or an entirely different location.


	4. Arya

Arya looked to her left. Hot Pie looked so serious, and to her right Gendry looked the same. In front of them stood Ser Alliser, acting Lord Commander. He talked about moral and family, about honour and courage.  
It was time for the recruits to take their vows. They had learned the words and soon they would be brothers of the watch. 

“Does anyone keep the old gods?” Thorne asked, and before Arya thought things through she stood up.

“I do” she said. And then she realised that a boy from Flea Bottom should believe in the new gods, not in the old. Hot Pie and Gendry stared at her.

“Arry… Why do you believe in a tree?” whispered Hot Pie, not wanting Thorne to hear them.

“I believe in the old gods. Not in a tree!” she said, a little too loud. The men next to them shushed and Thorne looked at her with anger. When he asked her if she wanted to say the words in front of a heart tree, she said that she wanted too. Then he also told everybody which order they would belong to. Arya was delighted when she heard her name called among the rangers, along with Gendry’s. Hot Pie was appointed to the stewards, they said he was going to work in the kitchens, and he sighed with relief when they told him.

When it was time for Arya to go beyond the wall to swear her vows Hot Pie and Gendry were already brothers. They joined her. Fat Sam and his friend Grenn also came, and with Sam came Ghost. They still hadn’t forgotten how Ghost reacted when he saw Arya, but they didn’t say anything anymore. The white direwolf jumped around in the snow, almost disappeared sometimes. Arya laughed and Hot Pie looked at her for a second, then laughed hesitantly.

She sat before the white tree, thinking that the last time she did it was in Winterfell before she went to King’s Landing.

“Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children…” She almost laughed when she said it. At least they didn’t need to worry about that bit. To hold lands and win glory was also impossible since she was a girl. “…I pledge my life and honour to the night’s watch, for this night and all nights to come.”

It was done. Now she was a brother and she could never leave. Now she was finally safe. She stood up and hugged her new brothers. She hoped he didn’t notice it, but Arya really liked hugging Gendry. Quite a bit more than she enjoyed hugging Hot Pie or Sam. All the way back to Castle Black they laughed and made fun of Hot Pie. He didn’t take it serious though. Sometimes Arya thought he was too stupid to get angry or sad. 

When they came back there was chaos. A black brother had arrived outside the gate, along with a wildling. They didn’t let them in, they called the brother traitor. Arya didn’t understand what the problem was. If the man had brought a wildling he couldn’t be a traitor. Even Sam had done it and that had been no problem. They had been angry, but they got over it. But then again, that wildling hadn’t been Sam’s hostage; it was so obvious – a blind man could see it – that he loved the girl. But this wildling had to be a hostage so why was everybody angry?! Ghost interrupted her thoughts and ran towards the gate. Sam and Grenn walked towards the gate, where ser Alliser stood. Sam gasped when he saw the man.

“Let them in!” he said. It wasn’t before Ghost showed his teeth they opened the gate.

A woman stepped through, with her head raised high. She pulled her hood down and looked around. Her hair was red as fire and her eyes were blue-grey. Then she bent down when Ghost sniffed at her leg.

“Aww! He’s so sweet! Really belongs in the North! White an’ all.” She laughed and ruffled his fur. The wolf licked her face as a response. Arya couldn’t help but feel jealous of her. 

“He isn’t supposed to be sweet, Ygritte.” Said a man who had stepped through behind her. It must be the black brother who the others called traitor. The wildling shook her head and laughed.

“You know nothing, Jon Snow.” She said and looked at him. _Wait, what?!_ Arya thought. _Jon Snow?!_

When she looked at the man she saw her half-brother. He seemed older and more experienced. But it was the same boy she’d grown up with. He didn’t see her, he only had eyes for two things; Ghost and ser Alliser- who looked at him with hate in his eyes. Arya once thought Thorne hated her, but she had been so wrong. He hated Jon. 

“Snow. This is not a place for traitors.” He said. Jon looked at him.

“How am I a traitor? I did what Qhorin Halfhand asked of me, nothing more.” Jon answered. Arya didn’t have the slightest idea of who “Qhorin Halfhand” was and she thought it best to keep quiet.

“Then how come that you are here with a wildling? We should put her in an ice cell and starve her out.” Thorne said and pointed at the woman who stood a few metres away, next to Ghost who seemed to love her already. It only made Arya more jealous.

“You will not put Ygritte in an ice cell!” Jon sounded angrier than Arya had expected. It was only a wildling after all. She looked to her right were Gendry stood. He looked at the wildling with his mouth open, and Arya wanted to hit him for it. Her first impression of the woman wasn’t good. Then she looked at Jon again and it was her turn to stand with her mouth open. Jon didn’t have eyes for only two things. He looked at the woman he called Ygritte and it wasn’t in a way a man usually looked at wildlings. It almost seemed as he… fancied her? But how could he do that?

“Aright.” Said Thorne. “She’ll live until we’ve elected a new lord commander. He will decide what happens to her.” 

Jon hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “She can stay with me in my chambers.” He said but Thorne didn’t like that.

“So you can fuck her at night? No. The wildling will stay with her kin. The Slayer brought a wildling too, they can live with each other.” With those words he turned around. Jon looked at him with anger. Then he looked around and started to laugh when he saw Sam and Grenn. He hugged them and made jokes. Then he turned towards Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie.

“This is three of the new recruits.” Sam said. “That’s Gendry, Hot Pie and Arry. All from King’s landing.” 

Jon looked at them and then his gaze stopped at Arya. For a moment her heart stopped. If Jon recognized her it would be the end of her.

“Nice to meet you Arry! I hope you like it her at the wall.” He said, and then he turned away from her and he asked Sam if he knew where Ygritte would stay.

“I can show her. She will share room with Gilly and little Sam.” Sam answered and smiled hesitantly at Ygritte. She didn’t return the smile.

“Who is Gilly? And who is Little Sam? And who is that ‘Slayer’ ser Alliser talked about?” Jon seemed to have so many questions but didn’t know where to begin.

“I’m the Slayer.” Sam said and then he said nothing. Jon raised his eyebrows.

“You, Sam?” He said. 

“I killed a White walker. Gilly is one of Craster’s daughters, remember the pregnant one who wanted to come with us? Little Sam is her baby.” Sam said, he seemed to blush. But perhaps it was only the cold. When Jon looked at him – still with his eyebrows raised- with a questioning smile on his face he murmurs something about showing Ygritte to her room. The two friends and Ygritte walked away.

Arya and Hot Pie had guard duty. They stood in the darkness with a torch and a brazier between them. Hot Pie talked and talked and talked about how he was doing in the kitchens. 

“Hot Pie, are you tired? You look tired. You should go down and get some sleep.” Arya said. In fact, Hot Pie didn’t look tired, Arya was simply tired of his talking. Hot Pie was tempted; it was cold and dark.

“Are you sure?” he said hesitantly.

“Yeah! Go now, I can look after myself.” She answered and nodded. He then walked towards the lift and disappeared. Arya was alone in the dark.

“Arry the orphan, eh?” said a dark voice behind her. 

“Yes.” She answered. She didn’t turn around, didn’t want to see him.

“Arya. I know it’s you.” He said quietly. Arya could feel she was about to cry. She turned around and hugged him, tears flowing. Jon started to cry too. So they stood there, her and her halfbrother, clinging to each other, crying. After what felt like ages they let go of each other.

“Arya what are you doing here?” Jon said. “I should go straight to ser Alliser and tell him who you are!” 

“No please! If they find out they will kill me!” Arya started to panic. She’d hoped that Jon would love her more than his vows. Was she wrong?

“I won’t tell anyone.” He said, and Arya sighed with relief. “But. If you are discovered I can’t help you.” 

Arya nodded. She opened her mouth to ask him about Ygritte, but he went before she said anything. He took the lift and Arya was alone in the dark once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it was time Arya and Jon met each other again. Any ideas of what will happen next??


	5. Ygritte

She didn’t like anything about Castle black. It was too far north, it was boring and most of all; the men were horrible. They had put her in a room with a young woman and her baby boy. That boy screamed like nothing she had heard before. How could someone so small scream so loud? She couldn’t sleep because of the bawling, and when the morning came she really wanted – needed- to see Jon. She went outside, to the tower she knew he was assigned.

“Oy, Wildling! Take this to the kitchens and chop them!” A man said and handed some carrots to her. She looked at them with disbelief.

“I will what?” she said. The man looked at her like she was stupid. Ygritte wasn’t stupid. That was certain!

“Take to the kitchens and chop. It’s your work after all.” He said and laughed. Ygritte hated when people laughed at her. _So he thinks he is better than me!_ She thought. _We’ll see about that! I will challenge him to fight during training._

“I challenge you! We fight with swords, spears, bow, fists… name it! I’m still better than you!” she said fiercely. Others were gathering around them and they laughed at her, worse than the man in front of her.

“You can’t fight, savage! You’re supposed to work in the kitchens.” 

“And… what will I do there?” she said and frowned. The men stared at her with distrust. 

“Clean pots, chop carrots and meat.” One of them said.

“What? I’m to work like a servant?!” she screamed. That was the worst thing she could imagine. Did these men actually believe that was the only thing she could do? “We’ll see about that!” She reached for the knife she had in her boot.

“Ygritte! Enough.” A voice said behind her, the only voice she wanted to hear. She turned around and there he stood. With a serious face, but Ygritte could see his eyes glittering with amusement. It was so hard to see it – she was used to it, but she was probably the only one who was – so if you didn’t know where to look you didn’t see it. She wanted to run and knock him down and kiss him. _Gods, what’s wrong with you Ygritte?_ She thought. Like you can’t control yourself at all! She knew what was wrong with her, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. No matter what everybody else said she had always denied it, to herself most of all. Now she couldn’t do it anymore. _I love him_ , she realised and it shocked and scared her. It was like she hadn’t loved anyone before Jon. Had she? Tormund, his children, Longspear Ryk… they had all been her friends, but had she ever loved them? Had she even loved her father and mother?  
She was too tired to object so for the first time in her life she kept quiet.

“You should go to the kitchens.” He said, smiling sadly. She understood he missed her as much as she missed him. She went to the kitchens, only because he asked it. She was almost there when she heard some of the men laughing and one of them said:

“Seems only you can keep the bitch in a collar, Lord Snow.” Ygritte didn’t need to look at Jon to understand how angry that made him. She knew him well enough – and she heard him.

“If anyone of you have a problem with Ygritte, then come to me with it and leave her out of it.” After that he started to curse them and yell at them. She wanted to join him, she almost did it, but then the door to the kitchens opened and the fat lad who was at the gate the day she and Jon arrived stood there with a sausage in his hand. He had the funniest name Ygritte had ever heard. ‘Hot Pie’. _What kind o’ mother names her son Hot Pie?!_

She spent the day in the kitchens, talking to Gilly. The girl was boring, but she was brave in her own way. To survive Craster and the march to the wall was not easy. Her babe was also kind of sweet, she supposed. She wasn’t used to children. But still he screamed too much.

It wasn’t until the sun was setting she was allowed to leave the kitchens. She was tired, angry and her left hand was covered in some sort of bandage. Apparently she wasn’t doing well in the kitchens. She walked back to her room, wishing Jon could be there with her. He wasn’t. With her acing hand she lay down on the bed, trying to get warm, but even with all the pelts and furs it was cold. Now he truly wished Jon was there. She tried to sleep, but it was too cold. A few metres away Gilly slept, with her babe close to her. It was ironic, really. For days Ygritte had wanted the boy to be silent, and now when he finally was she couldn’t sleep. She tried to think of something else. A memory soon turned up in her mind. She wasn’t sure it was a memory, it was about her mother and father and Ygritte had never known neither. Perhaps it was just something she had made up when she was little.

_“You’re my little girl. Remember that, even when you’re old and grey. Even after I’m gone, you’ll always be my little girl.” Her mum’s voice was kind, yet fierce. Ygritte looked at her and giggled. Her mother laughed and hugged her. Her father lifted her high up in the air and spun her around while she screamed with laughter._

_“Can I shoot with me bow now?” she asked when her father put her down. He bent down._

_“Anything you want you can do. You can do everything as long as_ you _want it. Because you are of the Free folk and we listen to no one. Go shoot with your bow, sweetling.” He said, and she remembered his words. That was when she learned to do whatever she wanted._

_She was only a few years, but still she had her own bow, a tiny, tiny one her father had made her. Both her parents watched as she practised. They didn’t have much, but they were free and they loved each other. That was enough for them._

If it was a real memory it was the only she had. She’d grown up without her parents. Tormund had taken care of her when she needed help, but mostly she was on her own. Until a crow tried to kill her. Everything had changed that day. That stupid crow had occupied her mind ever since. Finally- with the imagination of him sleeping next to her- she fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was a bit boring, but I had completely no ideas of what to write so had to do something.


	6. Jon

Chapter 6 Jon

Sam said he worried too much, and perhaps he did. He worried about Ygritte, about Arya, about Sam and everyone in Westeros. Now his biggest worries was that all the wildlings who would soon attack. He had no idea of what he would do about that. Perhaps he and Ygritte could negotiate with the leaders. But at the moment the leaders were more likely to kill him than listen to him. He had to try anyway. 

 

The next day he and a few of his brothers started their journey beyond the wall. They had mounted their horses when Ygritte approached them.

“Where is me horse?” she asked.

“You’re not joining us Ygritte.” Jon answered her. That made her very upset.

“What? If you think you’re going there without me... Mance will kill you all! You will _not_ leave me behind. I’m a free woman!” She said, not exactly screaming, but definitely not talking either. Jon sighed and climbed off his horse.

“We will come back. I promise. But I won’t risk your life. You say Mance will kill us, what do you think he’ll do to you when he learns you abandoned the free folk? Stay here, I’ll come back!” he said it quietly so no one would hear them. Then he mounted his horse again and they rode off. Ygritte remained at the yard, with anger in her eyes.

 

It was a bright day, but freezing. The brothers were covered in furs and still they shivered. They rode for hours, till it grew dark. They took turns standing guard. Jon had his guard during the hour of the wolf, when it was pitch black. Suddenly they heard something among the trees. They thought it was a wight so they awoke the other brothers and grabbed their swords and torches. 

A big horse emerged from the trees, with the rider all dressed in black. They didn’t see the face, it was hidden behind a big hood. Everybody -except Jon- held the torch in front of them and prepared to strike with the swords. 

“I told you not to come!” Jon called out to the rider in black. The horse moved forward. Only when it stood a few inches from Jon it stopped. Then the rider threw the hood back and revealed her bright red hair. 

“A free woman can do whatever she want.” Ygritte answered and threw herself off the horse. The only thing Jon could do was catch her. He would be the last person to admit it, but he was glad she was joining them.

 

They had ridden for about a day and a night when they saw the huge wildling camp. Jon’s brothers had never seen the army, for them it was a huge shock to realise what advantage Mance had. About a dozen wildlings came towards them. 

“The Crow-come-over returns.” One of them said. Jon recognised him as Rattleshirt and so did Ygritte. She rolled her eyes and he could hear her mumble.

“Great and here we go…” He smiled at her quickly then turned his attention towards Rattleshirt. 

“Aye, I return. We need to speak with Mance. To negotiate.”

“Aye, you know we will win.” Rattleshirt said and smirked.  
“Oh do us all a favour and _shut up_ Rattleshirt!” Ygritte said. Rattleshirt looked at her, like he didn’t notice her before.

_“You!”_ he exclaimed. She sighed and rolled her eyes again.

_“Me!”_ she replied with the same tone Rattleshirt used. “We want to speak with Mance.” Rattleshirt mumbled something and told them to follow him. Some of Jon’s brothers didn’t want to.

“How will we know he’s not leading us to a trap?” they asked, to which Jon replied that he knew Mance and he wasn’t a backstabber.

 

Mance had the biggest tent so it was easy to recognise. They stepped in and saw Mance, his wife Dalla, Dalla’s sister Val and an old friend. Ygritte almost squealed – which was very unlike her – when she saw him. 

“Tormund!” The redhaired man sat by the fire and ate chicken, as he did the first time Jon saw him. He looked at them and said nothing, just kept eating. Mance spoke however.

“You may leave, Lord of Bones.” Rattleshirt walked out from the tent. “So… you wanted to talk with me? I see Ygritte has joined you. Do you think you can persuade me that way? By letting a member of the free folk convince me to do as you crows say. Won’t work.”

“I have an offer that would be useful for us all. If you don’t attack the wall we’ll let you through the tunnel and you can settle down in the Gift.” Jon said and his brothers nodded. Mance didn’t respond right away. He thought for a moment and then turned to Ygritte who had been quiet ever since they stepped into the tent. 

“You trust him?” he asked her. She nodded and Mance grew quiet again. The only sound that was heard was the fire, Dalla’s and Val’s quiet talk and Tormund who had grabbed a second chicken. Mance spoke with Tormund who didn’t seem too eager to lose a chance to kill some men. Still, Mance was his king. It was near the hour of the bat when they were finally done talking.

“Then it’s settled.” Mance said and Jon agreed.

“You’ll have the Gift if you don’t attack us.” He said and then he, Ygritte and the rest of his brothers walked out of the tent. They had agreed that the wildlings could cross the same day, so they were in hurry to return to Castle Black to prepare. They rode in silence. Ygritte rode up next to Jon.

“Who’d known you were such a good diplomacer… diplomancer… well whatever it’s called!” she said and he laughed.

When they returned their brothers gathered round them and Jon explained the conditions. Almost everyone got angry, started to talk about everyone the wildlings had killed, all their brothers and friends who’d been boiled alive when they’d been captured. Jon knew this wouldn’t be easy, for anyone. 

 

The wildlings walked through the gate, hundreds and thousands of them. He saw Arya, Gendry and Sam running around and tell everybody where to go; if they had any wounds they should seek up Maester Aemon, their belongings and what little food they had was put in the stores and in the Great Hall there was hot soup for everyone who put down their swords.  
“You have a good heart, Jon Snow. It will get us all killed.” Alliser Thorne said behind him. He turned around to meet the older man’s gaze. Thorne wasn’t the only man who stared at him, almost every brother on the yard did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this ff should be about Arya, but i love Jon and Ygritte way too much... Next chapter will be either Arya or Gendry. Sorry for spelling mistakes and bla bla bla :D


	7. Gendry

Sometimes he thought Arry was staring at him. He was a strange lad. Little, didn’t seem to grow no matter how much he ate. One couldn’t deny that he was a good fighter though. He seemed to love being a ranger, although he hadn’t been on a mission yet. Netiher had Gendry. He wasn’t happy with being a ranger, he wanted to be a builder and stand in a forge. 

“Gendry! Maester Aemon wants to see you” Pyp said. “He said something about ravens. Don’t understand why he couldn’t send Sam instead, he looks after them all the time…” 

Gendry walked to the maester’s chambers. The blind man sat on a chair near the rookery.

“Pyp said you wanted to see me maester.” 

“Yes, Gendry… There was a raven from King’s Landing. Could you read it for me?” asked the old master. Gendry knew he was over a hundred years old, but why couldn’t Sam read it? Or Arry? They read much better, he could barely make out the letters on his own. _There must be some other reason he called me here._  
The letter said that King Joffrey was dead. Gendry was almost happy about it, he had seen the spoiled prince riding around in the city, surrounded by guards. He seemed like a cruel coward. 

“What do you think?” Maester Aemon asked. 

“About what?” 

“That the king is dead and that his younger brother will be king?” 

“What should I think? What does it matter?” 

“Oh” the maester chuckled. “It doesn’t matter of course, I just wondered. Tell me, what do you think your friend Arry would say?”

“Arry? Don’t know, never saw the lad till we went here.” He answered and shrugged his shoulders. The old man chuckled again and then said that he could leave.

 

“Wights approaching!” A voice screamed from outside. Everyone jumped up and grabbed their torches, bows and arrows. They were on the training ground, at the gate and everywhere. Gendry ran towards a bunch of them along with Arry, Jon Snow and a few others. It didn’t take long till they realised they needed more torches.

“Somebody bring more torches!” Arry shouted with his small but fierce voice. No one came with more torches. “Hot Pie! Bring torches!” he shouted even louder. Hot Pie’s voice was heard through all the noise. 

“But the wights! They’ll kill me!” he screamed. That made Arry rage.

 _“Bring those damn torches or I’ll kill you myself!”_ That made Hot Pie react. He ran through the snowstorm with a bunch of torches. When they got them he wanted to run back, but Arry told him to light another brazier, and one look from him made Hot Pie obey.  
The wights still outnumbered them, but only two to one. Many of the brothers had fallen but they would fight to the bitter end. Gendry knew they would.

There were three people who didn’t fight; the wildlings Ygritte, Gilly and Gilly’s baby. They had decided that women were not allowed to fight, which made the red haired Ygritte very angry. Jon had to lock her up in his chambers. Jon had the biggest chambers since he had been elected Lord Commander. Gendry had voted for him of course, as had Arry, Hot Pie and those brothers Gendry felt closest to. 

The snow fell and the storm raged on. The wights had an advantage, they only had a few more torches, and too few archers with good aim. Suddenly Arry did something crazy. He ran towards the dead men with no weapon in his hands. Soon he had a bunch of wights behind him. The wights were clumsy and slow, but the snow that fell made Arry slower than he usually was. Gendry saw Arry running towards a brazier and thought he knew what the lad was doing.  
He jumped over the brazier in full speed. Gendry had to admire him. He had thought about Arry many times lately. _But you like girls, not boys…_ He had had several girls in King’s Landing. One of the wights tried to jump over the brazier as well, but he was too clumsy. He caught fire, and when he did the wights beside him did as well. Gendry cheered with the others. By jumping over a brazier Arry had changed the odds. Now it was the wights that were outnumbered, almost five to one. They broke pieces of the castle and the things around them, lit them and threw them at the dead men. 

Only one wight remained, and Arry had come up with the idea of killing it. He tried the trick with the brazier again. It worked. It caught fire immediately. Everyone cheered and Gendry thought that Arry should be named first ranger or be given the command of one of the other castles. But a small part of him wanted Arry to stay with Gendry forever. The wight still burned and for some reason it grabbed Arry’s clothes. With his inhuman strength he tore the clothes apart. 

Everyone who looked at Arry from the front gasped, but Gendry who stood behind him only thought that he must be so cold without clothes. He removed his thick cloak and walked towards the little lad. Arry sat with his hands over his chest. _Gods, he really must be freezing._ When Gendry was face to face to him he bent down. Arry looked away. _Wait a moment! I thought I just saw_ … He looked again, and although his hands covered most of him, Gendry couldn’t deny what he saw. Arry had… _breasts?!_ _No it can’t be!_ Does that mean that Arry, his friend, was…? 

“A girl!” Pyp screamed. Everyone whispered and pointed at the boy, girl, In front of them. Gendry looked around. The only one who didn’t look shocked was Jon Snow. _How did he know this?_ Gendry thought and got mad at Jon. 

“Who are you… Arry?” Sam asked, He looked scared, perhaps he thought that Arry was the biggest enemy here. Had he forgotten the wights?

“My name is not Arry, it’s Arya of House Stark.” 

_Arya…_ Gendry thought.

The boy’s – the girl’s, Gendry had to remind himself – voice was pathetic and weak, yet he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Arya clearly was a girl, everybody could see it, and she wasn’t allowed here. How could he not have seen it before? It was obvious! Maybe he was as stupid as she’d always said he was… And now she was exposed. Who knew what would happen to her now, with no one to save her? He pitied her and handed her his cloak even if she wasn’t allowed to wear it. They all kept staring and whispering. 

“Take her to an ice cell and leave her there!” Thorne said and many mumbled approvingly. 

“No! Put her with Ygritte in my chambers. I’ll question her later.” Jon said and immediately Gendry wasn’t that mad at him.

“You knew about this Snow?” one brother asked. “Well of course you did. If she’s a Stark then she’s your sister. You knew, you are as guilty as her!”

“I did not know” Jon said calmly. Something in his voice made Gendry understand that he had known, but kept quiet. _Arya is his half-sister, that’s how he knew._

Grenn and Pyp walked and stopped in front of her. They lifted her up – gentler than Gendry had ever seen them – and started carrying her towards the lord commander’s chambers. Gendry joined them. Arya didn’t meet his gaze, she kept looking at the ground.

“Why, Arry?” he asked. She didn’t answer, she kept quiet even when they opened Jon’s chambers and Ygritte tried to knock them to the ground in her wish to get out. She didn’t answer Ygritte’s questions about where Jon was, if he was alright. She kept quiet and looked at the ground. The door was closed. That was how Gendry left Arry the orphan. He would never see the little, scrawny lad again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually he part that made me come up with the whole idea of writing this. It was easier to imagine it inside my head than writing it so it didn't turn out as I wanted it.


	8. Ygritte

Jon’s friends threw in the little lad named Arry. She tried to knock them down, had to see for herself that Jon was alright. No matter how many times they told her he was fine she didn’t believe it until she saw it. They closed the door and left Arry there. 

“Where is Jon?” she asked again. Arry didn’t answer. “Where is he?” Still no answer. “Are you deaf? Where is he?!” When she didn’t get an answer she pulled in the black cloak he was wearing. It fell of immediately.

“ _What_ is that?!” she said, shocked. He was naked under the cloak and he had breasts! Ygritte had never liked Arry, he looked too much at her Jon and Jon looked back. The realisation that he was in fact a girl made Ygritte even surer that Arry was a complete jerk. _That_ was probably the reason she looked at Jon so much! And Jon knew! _The others take them both!_

“I think you know what it is.” Arry finally answered quietly. It sounded as she was close to tears. “Like you don’t have them yourself.” She started sobbing.

“Why are you crying?” Ygritte asked. Arry cried louder. 

“They found out.” She said. At least that was what Ygritte thought she said, she cried so loud that is was hard to hear. She had never seen Arry cry before, didn’t even think she could do it. “They found out and now they hate me. They know who I really am, and Jon’s in danger too.”   
Ygritte’s first thoughts was that it was Arry’s fault if Jon was in danger. But she had said ‘they know who I really am’. Who was she then?

“Who are you really?”   
“I’m Arya Stark.” The answer came, after she had cried a bit more. _Didn’t Jon speak about the Starks? Wasn’t he half Stark himself?_

“Then Jon is…”

“My brother, yes” she said and smiled through her tears. That was how Jon knew of course! He simply recognised her as his own sister. They even looked like each other.

“What is Jon to you?” the young girl aske curiously. “Because I saw how he looked at you when you first arrived, and he fancies you. Do you like him?” 

Ygritte smiled. “Yes, I might do.” Arya smiled as well.

“How much??” she asked. “Like you could marry him or just like a friend?” 

Ygritte didn’t answer, she simply put her hands on her belly. She was going to tell him, at some point. Arya saw it and her eyes widened.

“But he swore vows!” she exclaimed. _Aye, and so did you, little one._

 

They sat in the room for days. No one came to visit them, except Jon, but he didn’t stay for long. He came in and asked if they were okay and gave them their meals and then he went again. Ygritte grew more and more restless for every day that passed.

“How did you meet?” Arya asked. Ever since she realised what kind of relationship Jon and Ygritte had she had been asking tons of questions about them. She really loved her brother.

“I told you yesterday, at least two times.” 

“Tell again then! I’m bored.” They were interrupted by a knock on the door. 

“It’s me, Jon.” They both smiled and let him in. He told them that Tormund and his band of wildlings had returned to the Wall to tell them that the restoring of the Gift was going well. 

“How are you?” he asked. Arya said she was fine, but Ygritte’s respond was to run to a bucket and throw up. It felt awful, like she was throwing up her entire stomach. Jon opened his mouth to ask her if she was okay, but then she threw up again. Without thinking she put her hands on her stomach, something that had become a habit. She rose. Jon stared at her, his mouth wide open. He wanted to ask her, but he didn’t have the courage. It was too funny; he could face white walkers and wights but women and babies made him terrified. She nodded and sighed.

“How?” he asked. She stared at him with disbelief. 

“Do you seriously ask _how_?” There was a sudden knock on the door. A little boy asked for the lord commander; said something about a first ranger. Jon left immediately. Ygritte looked at Arya.

“Your brother is a complete idiot. He asked _how it happened_! What does he think?” 

“He was only shocked.” Arya said and laughed. Ygritte laughed as well. They stood together and laughed when there suddenly was screams and noise from outside. Her first thought was that Jon was in danger. She ran towards the door. Tried to open it, but it was barred.   
“Hello?! Open!” she screamed and panicked. She pulled and screamed but no one came. He ran towards the window, where Arya already stood. 

“Who is that?” she screamed. Ygritte looked. If it had been another situation she would have laughed. Tormund Giantsbane and his wildlings came running with swords and axes in their hands. They cut down the crows and the blood flew around. Ygritte hoped they wouldn’t harm Jon. But then she saw a body, lying on the ground. Above him was a sign. ‘Traitor’ it said. She couldn’t see who it was, but a part of her knew. A part of her knew it was _her_ Jon. For the first time since – she couldn’t even remember when- she cried. She sank to her knees. She didn’t know for how long, it could be a few seconds, it could be a hundred years. The door opened and when she looked up, Tormund stood there. Immediately she rose. She was still crying but she ran towards the now open door and out through it. Tormund tried to stop her, but she kicked him and kept running. 

It was Jon. It was dark and cold, and in that darkness he lay. Blood flowing. It appeared as he had been stabbed multiple times.

“Who did this?” she asked. Tormund who now stood next to her answered.

“The crows. They are dead now, as his he.” He said and pointed at Jon. A woman stepped forward. A woman all dressed in red. Even her eyes were red. 

“I can save him.” She said. But Tormund shook his head. He said that Jon was already gone and beyond saving. “I know how to do it. Let me.”

“Are you sure? Because if you lie I will kill you, and I will do it slowly. Save him!” Ygritte said, still crying. The red woman nodded and ordered a big pyre to be built. Tormund lifted Jon’s body and carried him to the chambers where Arya still remained. Even from there Ygritte could see that the little girl’s eyes were filled with tears, and why wouldn’t they? He had been her brother. But she was sure no one could be as sad as Ygritte. If Jon didn’t come back she would never be happy again, even though she hated that her happiness depended on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure what to do with Melisandre... but I need her to resurrect Jon, otherwise I wouldn't include her. Also; in a few chapters it will be time for Dany and the dragons!


	9. Arya

She hadn’t cried since her father was killed, didn’t think she could do it anymore. But now tears   
rolled down her cheeks. Jon had been her favourite brother and now… he looked dead. Everybody   
said he was dead. It was only Ygritte who didn’t accept it. When Arya first met her she hadn’t liked   
her. She looked at Gendry too much. _And why should I care? Gendry is… a stupid idiot, just like  
Hot Pie._But then it turned out that Ygritte liked Jon and since he liked her back Arya   
decided to like her, at least for Jon’s sake. She watched as the woman stood with the big guy,   
Tormund. Beside them stood the red woman, Melisandre. Arya couldn’t figure out what was so   
strange about her. On the courtyard a big pyre was built by the wildlings. The red woman had   
ordered it built, but for what reason? Arya couldn’t figure out what they would need a pyre for.

The pyre was ready and Jon’s body was carried from the room. The brothers who had stabbed Jon   
had been killed by the wildlings, and their bodies were gone – probably burned as well. Arya was   
glad Thorne and that little boy, Olly, was dead. Arya had decided not to cry if Jon was dead forever.   
Maybe she was a girl, but she wouldn’t act like one. Ygritten didn’t cry either. She looked at   
Melisandre with narrowed eyes, prepared to instantly kill her if she wasn’t able to help Jon. Ghost   
stood beside the wildling, with the red eyes looking at Melisandre as well.  
The red woman stepped forward, and walked towards the pyre. She talked about a saviour and   
about some prophecy. Arya wondered if she really was going to resurrect Jon or if she just sought to   
find people for her foreign religion. But then she ordered the pyre lit, and Dolorous Edd lit it with   
the torch he held. Everyone had assembled, both wildlings and brothers. If it didn’t go as planned   
the night’s watch had to say some words about him. How can he resurrect Jon if she burns the   
body? Now Arya started to think the woman was mad. Ygritte seemed to be ready to hit something   
or burst into tears. Or maybe both. Melisandre started to talk in some strange language, it sounded   
as it came from the east. She could hear Sam whisper to the person next to him.

“That’s high Valyrian.” He said. Arya had never heard anyone speak high valyrian before, but she   
knew where it came from. Melisandre’s prayers was interrupted by a large white shadow. Arya   
didn’t see what it was. It moved silently and swiftly, just like a ghost. _Ghost_ , she thought. 

And so it was. Jon’s direwolf jumped into the flames. Arya had no idea why, but she knew she had   
to save him. Jon loved his wolf and wouldn’t want to live without him. Arya had to save him. That   
was the only thought she had in her head. She took a few steps towards the fire.

“No!” Gendry shouted and grabbed her arm. He stopped her from saving Ghost, didn’t he   
understand that he had to let her? 

“Let me go!” she screamed and tried to find a way out of his grip. She couldn’t. He was too strong. 

“I won’t let you die!” he said. He said something else as well, but Arya didn’t hear it. Behind them a   
terrible howl was heard. It was the howl of a wolf that burned. Arya screamed and Gendry   
screamed as well, trying to be heard. The only thing that truly was heard except for the howling was   
the voice of Melisandre. She prayed and said the strange words in high valyrian. The howling   
seemed to go on forever. The flames shot so high no one could see what happened. Arya even   
thought she saw a dragon in the fire. _Dragons are all dead_ , she tried to tell herself. 

It felt like an eternity when the fire finally died out, only the ashes remained. It must have been very   
hot. Arya couldn’t even find a single bone from Ghost. But Jon hadn’t burned either, but he wasn’t   
alive. He lied where they had put him and he was as cold and dead as before. Ygritte saw it and   
clenched her fists. Arya knew she already thought about the most painful way for a woman to die.   
Next to Arya stood Gendry, who still held her arm. He was so strong it pained when he held her.   
Even in that chaos Arya smiled for herself. It felt like a little bit of normality. 

“Gendry can you let go of my arm?” she asked him. It was if he hadn’t noticed he was holing it. He   
looked at her with a confused look and then at her arm. It took a while before she realised he had to   
realise it. He looked at her in a strange way. He had never looked at her like that before. At least it   
wasn’t the look men had when they thought about weak women so she didn’t need to worry about   
him thinking her being weak. 

Arya tried to remember what he had said to her when Ghost howled,   
but she couldn’t. And it was no wonder; the howls where high and drowned almost every other   
sound. Arya thought she had heard something about ‘I’ and ‘you’, but maybe she was wrong.   
_Ghost_ … Ghost had been Jon’s best friend, his companion and his guard. Now he was gone, because   
Arya couldn’t save him. She would never forgive herself. But maybe it was meant to be this way.   
Maybe Jon needed Ghost in death, and that was why the wolf jumped onto the pyre. She would   
never know. A sound was heard behind her, again. Only this time it wasn’t a howl, but a cuff. She turned around. What she saw almost made her faint.

It was her brother. Only it wasn’t her brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long update, but I've been very buisy. We are supposed to write a book in school so I have to focus on that. I hope I will be able to update sooner next time.


	10. Arya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon is brought back to life but something is different with him... Mostly a filler for next chapter.

His black hair was gone as was his clothes. He sat up shakily and breathed heavily. How could he  
_possibly_ be alive? She wanted to run to him and make sure she wasn’t imagining things. She  
didn’t have the time before someone else did, though. It was Ygritte, and Arya couldn’t quite  
determine if she was upset, happy or sad. 

“You!” she yelled at Jon who looked puzzled and absent-minded. Didn’t he recognise them? 

Ygritte stood with her arms crossed and looked down at Jon. 

“Ygritte.” Arya heard him mumble. She looked relieved he knew who she was. Arya let out a deep  
breath. It wasn’t before then she realised she had held her breath and been worried he wouldn’t  
recognise them. 

_“I hate you, Jon Snow! How dare you scare me like that and leave me alone?!”_ Ygritte screamed,  
but in the next moment she fell to the ground and cried. Arya couldn’t hear what she and Jon said  
but they hugged each other and both cried. For a moment Arya became jealous at Ygritte because  
she meant so much to Jon. Once Arya had held that special place in Jon’s heart, but had she been  
replaced by Ygritte now? Or had Ygritte simply made Arya company? Was it even possible to share  
such a thing? Gendry still held Arya’s arm so she had to bend it free. Then she ran to Jon and shared  
a group hug with him and Ygritte. 

“You’re alive.” She repeated over and over again. She still couldn’t understand how, but of course  
she was happy he was alive. 

“What happened with Ghost?” she asked. Jon frowned.

“What do you mean?” he asked back. “Isn’t he inside?” A voice spoke up behind them. 

“The direwolf sacrificed himself for the rebirth of Azor Ahai.” It was the red woman. Arya grew  
angry. It wasn’t Ghost who sacrificed himself, it was that woman who made him do it! She was the  
reason Jon’s beloved pet and Nymeria’s brother was dead. She rose from the ground and walked  
towards the woman. 

“You’re a witch, you killed him!” she yelled. The woman eyed her nonchalantly and turned her  
back towards Arya. Arya grew even angrier. She was going to hit the woman, or kick her, or even  
kill her, she didn’t care which one! She could even stab her with Needle once she fetched it from  
her room. At the moment she would have to content with hitting her. A nice punch in the face would  
serve her right! A strong hand stopped her raised arm. 

“Don’t.” he said. She turned around and glared at him. 

“She deserves it.” She spat and tried to break free from his strong grip.

“Yes, but not now. There are more important things to do.” Gendry said and didn’t let go until she  
promised she wouldn’t do anything _now_. However, she made no promises for _later_. Gendry and  
Grenn helped Jon inside, for although he was revived he wasn’t exactly in a good state. Ygritte  
walked next to them and it sounded as she took turns scolding and forgiving Jon for leaving her.  
Arya honestly didn’t understand them. Shouldn’t they both be happy he was alive and they were  
together, and yet they were both crying, cursing and ask for forgiveness. Why in seven hells  
would they do that? Maybe she would understand someday. She watched as they carried him inside  
but she didn’t follow them directly. Instead she walked towards the wildling fellow with the red  
beard. 

“How did you know this was happening? How did you know you were needed?” she asked him. He  
looked down at her and grinned. 

“Little lady pretending to be a boy, your brother came to us.” He said and gestured towards  
Dolorous Edd. Arya had always found the moody man a bit strange but now she almost loved him.  
She wanted to ask how Edd had gotten there in time, but now there were more important things to  
do. Like checking on her brother. 

~~~

“How are you feeling?” she asked when she entered his chambers. Ygritte lied on the floor  
with her face in a bucket. Jon lied in the bed while another brother helped him sit up and eat. 

“Like death.” He said and grinned faintly. She smiled. Ygritte huffed.

“He can’t possibly feel worse than me!” she complained and threw herself down on the bed next to  
Jon. 

“I know he has been threw death and all but I would gladly switch that for a pregnancy. Don’t  
you think your brother would look pretty with a big belly?” she said, the last question towards Arya.  
Arya laughed at the thought and Jon smiled again. He looked so different without his black curls.  
How long did it take for hair to grow back? Ygritte asked the same thing and Jon touched his hair to  
feel the bald head. 

“It had already begun. I can feel the stubble so it shouldn’t take too long.” He said. Arya didn’t see  
any stubble and apparently Ygritte didn’t either because she leaned closer to him. She gasped.

“Jon, your hair is white! Or more like silver-blonde!” she exclaimed. Arya almost threw herself at  
Jon to see if it was true. And could you believe it, on his head you could see small, small stubbles of  
light hair. There was no way that hair had survived the fire so it had to have come afterwards, which  
meant less than half an hour! That shouldn’t be possible, but the again, it shouldn’t be possible to  
bring a man back to life either so… 

“It can’t be!” he said. They assured him it was. Not even the maester they sent for could explain it.  
A knock on the door made everyone jump, they were still a bit upset by the attack. 

“It’s Gendry.” He said from the other side of the closed door. They let him in.

“Lord commander, a boy arrived and said he knows you and had information to give. He calls  
himself Bran. ” He told them. Jon groaned. 

“I’m not falling for that again! The last time they something like this happened they said they knew where uncle Benjen was and then I got myself killed. I’m not going out there.” Jon said and made no effort to get up. 

“I’m afraid he insists, m’lord.” Gendry said. Jon still didn’t move so Arya sighed and got up.

“I’ll go then. If it’s really Bran then we’ll recognize each other, if not he’ll only see a young boy.”  
She said and convinced Jon to let her go. He also said it couldn’t be Bran, that Bran and Rickon  
were killed by Theon at Winterfell. She still went and her heart pounded when she left the room.  
What if it really was her brother?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long! The truth is I had given up on the story. I had no ide how to continue it and had absolutely no motivation to write do it. Then maybe a month ago I realised I actually wanted to finish it but I still had no idea how. I don't know if it will be good or not, but I'l give it a try I guess:) Sorry for killing Ghost but as I said I was out of ideas...:( If you guys have any ideas you can tell me:)


	11. Daenerys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's change the scene and the climate for a while:).

“I had always thought it was called the Narrow Sea because it was narrow and didn’t take long time to cross.” She said and sighed. They had been looking at the same view for days: water as far as the eye could see. 

“Patience, your grace.” Said the man next to her. “I find it rather enjoyable. The last time I crossed I sat squished inside a box.” Dany looked down at Tyrion Lannister and laughed. He looked like a little lord now, with fine clothes and the brooch in the shape of a hand, which signified that he was the hand of the queen. He didn’t look like someone who would sit in a box for weeks. On her other side Lord Varys made some comment about it, but Dany didn’t listen. She looked at the horizon, and far away she could see Drogon’s huge shape. Rhaegal and Viserion were closer to her ship, but they were somewhere to the west. It was strange, Drogon allowed her to ride on her back whenever she wanted, but the other two were still resistant. She hadn’t even sat on them, let alone flown. It was as if they were waiting for something. 

“Your grace, I still believe we should turn north, not south. I have told you before, and I will tell you again. We need to go to the wall.” Varys said. Dany sighed. She wasn’t sure she believed the stories about white walkers, but Varys claimed his little birds had seen them with their own eyes. She was going to the wall, but she wanted to see Dragonstone and King’s landing first. She thought of her bear. Jorah. He was from the north, would he also have her turn north immediately? Was he even alive? Maybe he was dead already. 

“Think of it this way: if you help the people they will help you. They despise Cersei Lannister, and they do not know you yet. Show them that you care for them.” Varys said. Maybe he was right about that, but hadn’t she already seen that showing mercy and kindness wasn’t always the best solution. Slaver’s bay had taught her that. 

“What do you think ser Jorah does now?” she wondered out loud. Varys snorted. Dany knew the eunuch didn’t think highly of the exiled knight. Tyrion however, gave her a look full of pity. 

“I fear he is dead, your grace. Greyscale is not easy to cure.” He reminded her. 

“I told him to return to me. I needed him by my side, I said. Where is he now?” she asked, growing frustrated. She shook her head and went down to her cabin. Missandei wasn’t there, but she didn’t have need of her now, anyway. All she wanted to do was sleep until they reached King’s landing. 

_She dreamt of dragons. A red and black dragon, which obviously was Drogon. Then a second, smaller dragon who looked like Rhaegal but the bronze scales were coloured white for some reason. Then there was the third dragon, which was smallest of them all. It had to be Viserion, but even if he was the smallest dragon he wasn’t this small. His colouring was gold with a little hint of red and black. The dragons flew higher and higher up in the air, until the ground was made only out of icy fields. Icy? How could they be icy? Everything was frozen. She looked down on the huge landscape. A long time ago there had been castles, rivers, forests and fields with wheat. Now there was only ice, snow and darkness. She saw a giant pile of blocks made of ice. Then she saw a huge stone castle which was abandoned. Only the wind howled in the empty halls. On what once had been an island surrounded by open water was another fallen castle. Not even the dragons could keep it warm. Lastly she saw a room full of snow. It probably had been grand and magnificent once, but now the roof was broken, the floor was made of ice and everything was cold and lifeless. Far away in the other side of the room stood a throne. The iron throne. It wasn’t as magnificent as Viserys had always told her. This was a broken old thing with so much ice on one couldn’t even see the swords._

She woke with a gasp and realised it was the future she had seen. Or at least something that represented the future. Everything was true. She put on a robe and ran up on deck again. 

“Captain! Turn this ship north! Immediately!” she commanded. 

“Only this one or all the others as well?” he asked. 

“All of them, except a few. Send them to Dragonstone. Viserys used to tell me that the mines were full of this thing called obsidian. The men shall take it and bring it to the wall. I don’t know what for, but I have a feeling we will need it.” The captain nodded and gave the order to his men. Soon most of the ships were headed north except for a small amount which sailed onwards to Dragonstone. _Will I ever get to see my home?_ Dany wondered. She wasn’t sure. Maybe all she would see was a fallen castle and a throne no one could sit upon.


	12. Arya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! I know it's been awhile again, but I'm busy with life.  
> Back at the wall again! I know the timelines in this story don't add up, but who cares. It's an AU after all! And no one forces you to read the story so if you hate it feel free to leave:) If you still want to read it then I hope you enjoy this chapter!

“I am Brandon Stark.” He introduced himself. Arya studied his face carefully. It wasn’t possible. Bran died at Winterfell, along with Rickon when Theon burned it down. But this boy looked so much like Bran, the exact eyes she remembered. His voice was deeper, hoarser and manlier, but it had been a few years since she saw him last. And most importantly, he couldn’t walk or stand. But still, Bran was dead. But what if he wasn’t? Maybe that was a trick? A small test would prove if he really was who he said. 

“Is that really you?” she exclaimed and walked up to him. The woman next to him, she was around seventeen or eighteen, Arya estimated, eyed her suspiciously. Arya had no idea who she was. And if this was Bran, where was Rickon? 

“Do I know you?” he asked. Arya was disappointed. She had really hoped it would be Bran. _He looks so much like my brother._ She acted it out a little bit more. 

“Don’t you recognise me?” she teased. This was the last thing she could do to make sure if he was her long-lost brother. First he only watched her and frowned, nothing that showed he recognised her in any way. Her heart sank. _It isn’t him._ But then he said something to the woman and she carried him closer to Arya. He touched her face. 

“Arya? Is this really you?” he whispered. Arya grinned. It _was_ him!

“Don’t you remember your own sister?” she laughed and hugged him. The woman’s eyes widened as she watched the two siblings reconcile. Arya wanted to tell Bran everything, about their father, Gendry, the watch, Jon and the wildlings. And she wanted to know what had happened to him. What had happened at Winterfell, where was Rickon, where had he been? 

“Is Jon here?” Bran asked. Arya nodded. She took his hand and dragged him back to the lord commander’s chambers. It must have been a funny scene, first came Arya with her hand in a firm grip around Bran’s, who was carried by the woman who only looked confused. Arya pounded on the heavy door to Jon’s room. 

“It’s me!” She yelled. The moment after Gendry opened the door and dragged her inside. 

“Are you hurt?” he asked her and eyed her with worry in his blue eyes. She frowned. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked. “Jon, you won’t believe it! It’s really Bran! He’s here and…” She stopped in the middle of the sentence when she saw that there were not one, but two redheads in the room (not counting Tormund).

“Arya!” The beautiful redhead stared at her with her bright blue eyes wide-open in shock. Arya stared back at her. It couldn’t be! It wasn’t possible that both Bran and her turned up on the same night! Who knew, maybe Rickon was hiding under the bed as well? How could she even be here? Shouldn’t she be in King’s landing, being a hostage? Then she saw a huge man at the window, with a hand on the sword hilt and watchful eyes. What the hell was he doing here? Who allowed him to be here? She would kill him! But before that she had family-stuff to do. 

“Sansa! What are you doing here?” she exclaimed. Her sister continued to stare at her for a while, her mind somewhere else, before she snapped back to reality. 

“What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?” 

“I am a man of the night’s watch.” Arya said proudly. “I mean… woman of the night’s watch.” She corrected herself. That explanation didn’t seem to be enough for Sansa, but for now it had to do. 

“Sandor brought me here.” Sansa explained and nodded to the man who showed no emotions, only kept looking round for potential threats. Apparently Arya was the biggest threat in the room at the moment, because he glared at her. 

“Wolf-bitch.” He muttered loudly. She already wanted to shove Needle through his heart. 

“What are you doing here?” she growled. Then she turned to Jon. “Why is he here? Why haven’t you killed him yet?” 

“I returned your sister to her family.” The Hound explained. Arya didn’t like this. They must have travelled together through the entire north, almost the entire continent, in fact. He could have done absolutely anything to Sansa during that time. And yet he dared to show up here! And what was the most disturbing thing in the whole situation; _Sansa called him Sandor._ She shouldn’t do that! He was the Hound, a cruel person who would kill anyone, no one and nothing else. He was probably here just because it was profitable for him. 

“I’m sure you’ve received your reward. Be on your way.” Arya said to him. Before the big man could respond Sansa gasped. 

“Arya!” She sounded both surprised and shocked at her sister’s words. Yet that was all she said, nothing more, so something had changed about Sansa. She looked tired, as beautiful as before of course, but not as fragile. For the first time Sansa actually looked like a northerner. 

“Stay out of this, wolf-bitch.” The Hound snarled at her. Arya grabbed Needle, which was hidden under her cloak and made a jump towards him. He drew his sword as well. Before Arya got to him however, Gendry grabbed her and put her down on the floor and took Needle from her. He kept a hand on her shoulder to restrain her but didn’t do anything else, just waited for her to do something. He might seem off-guard, but Arya knew he would pin her to the floor in a matter of seconds if she tried something. The thought of that made her heart beat a little faster. Jon glared at her and the Hound. 

“Could you two try to not kill each other just yet? We all want to know what Bran is doing here.” He scolded them like they were two little children. The Hound wasn’t a child of course, but he was a grown-up man who could wait before he killed someone. Arya only waited because she wanted to know what happened to Bran. They all looked at him expectantly. The woman, Meera her name apparently was, had put him down on the bed where Jon lied with Ygritte in his lap, gently rubbing her stomach. A sudden image popped into Arya’s head, one with herself in a similar situation, not with Jon’s arms around her of course, but someone with black hair and blue eyes. The thought was so bizarre she dismissed it and threw it out of her head immediately. Bran hesitated before he opened his mouth, which made Arya think something serious happen. And it was. She had never been this shocked her entire life. Not even Jon’s resurrection compared to this. Bran told them everything that had happened. How they hid in the crypts when Theon burned Winterfell, how he and Rickon got separated and that he, Meera and Jojen travelled beyond the wall. 

“Why didn’t you come here?” Jon asked. For him it seemed to be the obvious thing to do, come to the wall so his brother could protect him. 

“My brother had green dreams. He knew Bran had to travel to a cave beyond the wall. We met this old man there – the three-eyed raven – and he taught Bran to see the past.” Meera filled in. Then came the information that shocked Arya the most. Poor Hodor’s past, Uncle Benjen turned out to be alive and rescued them, and finally a secret that had been so well kept probably no one had suspected anything. 

“You all know how Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped aunt Lyanna and took her to Dorne. That’s a lie. He didn’t kidnap her. They ran away together. I heard her tell father that herself, in a vision. I saw the fight outside the Tower of joy, with ser Arthur Dayne and father. Then inside the tower, Lyanna was dying of childbirth. She gave birth to a son.” Bran stared at Jon when he said the last bit. They were all shocked, they hadn’t even known that Lyanna birthed a child. Arya quickly calculated the numbers and years in her head and realised the truth. 

“Father found Lyanna and the baby. Lyanna died, as we all know, but the child survived. Father took him home and claimed him as his own.” Now Jon too realised it, Arya saw the shock and doubt in his face. He shook his head. 

“No.” he said. “No.” bran nodded and sighed. 

“You are their son. You are the son of prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lady Lyanna Stark.” He confirmed and left them all in shock and silence.


	13. Gendry

“That’s madness!” Jon said, and Arya and Sansa nodded in agreement. Gendry didn’t exactly understand what they were talking about, he had never understood the game these highborn people played. The Starks were nice and very different from those in King’s landing, but they were highborn nonetheless. 

“Could someone please explain to me what’s going on?” he asked. Arya shot him an annoyed glance. 

“Shut up you stupid Bull!” she said but gave him a quick smile before she turned her attention back to her family. Gendry wondered when he would get used to think of Arya as a girl, but at the same time it was a relief. He had started to wonder lately, if he possibly could have… feelings?... for Arry. And now that _he_ was a _she_ , it would be easier to cope with. He wouldn’t be considered strange if he liked a girl. But now there was a different problem: Arry the orphan was just a boy from Flea Bottom. Arya Stark was a highborn lady, too high for the likes of him. So while one problem had disappeared another, bigger, had appeared in its stead. 

Although the pretty redhead Sansa seemed stern and cold, she explained the whole deal for him, and soon he was as amazed and confused as the rest of them. 

“You have a claim to the iron throne, Jon. Even bigger so than the daughter of the mad king.” Bran told them, but Jon shook his head. 

“I’m still a bastard. A trueborn always comes before a bastard. I’ve known that for my entire life.” He pointed out, but Bran had more to tell them. 

“Rhaegar and Lyanna were married. They married on the isle of faces on their way to the Tower of joy, where she died.” Jon sat quiet for a long while, probably taking in all the new information. Gendry thought he could understand how Jon felt: one day he was a bastard with no name, then he died and when he was brought back he found out that not only was he a legitimate son, but also heir to the realm. _Thank the gods that won’t happen to me…_

“No one will believe it. No one will believe us if we turn up at the gates of King’s landing and claim our half-brother – I’m sorry, _cousin_ – is the next king. They’ll just execute us for treason.” Sansa chimed in. The hound looked at her and nodded. Gendry had seen the big man in King’s landing, walking around protecting Joffrey, but he had never seen him with such devotion as this. 

“Then what do you want us to do?” Jon asked. 

“Take back the north. The Boltons hold Winterfell. It’s our home!” Sansa said. Gendry could never understand what it was with highborn people and their homes. It was only a house after all. Albeit a large house, but anyway. It wasn’t as if Gendry thought of returning to Thobo Mott’s armoury in King’s landing, even if he had lived there for so many years. 

“How are you going to do that?” Arya questioned her sister. Sansa shrugged her shoulders before answering. 

“Sandor is loyal to me.” She said. 

“I don’t know much about these battle-things, but how can one man make a difference?” Gendry asked. Sansa glared at him quickly but didn’t say or do anything else. 

“And what if you attack?” Jon asked. “What if Ramsay wins? What happens to you then?” Sansa’s face went pale and for a moment she seemed close to fainting. Then she answered, with a cold and stern voice. 

“If Ramsay wins I am not going there alive.” She said. The unspoken question of what she knew of Ramsay hung heavily in the air. The great man beside her put a protective hand on her shoulder. Sansa looked up at him and smiled. 

“I won’t ever let him touch you, little bird.” The Hound said. Gendry saw Arya throwing angry glares at the Hound, and wondered what had happened between them. 

“Excuse me?” she said. “But can we focus on the real issue here? Jon is a prince!” That comment caused the red-haired Ygritte to ask if perhaps that made her a princess or something else o’ fancy. Gendry smiled for himself but everyone else ignored the comment. Jon didn’t seem to want to be prince. 

“We can deal with all that after we’ve defeated the others. That is our most important task now. The others are the only foe that matters. We-“ 

“Forgive me, Jon,” his older little sister – cousin – interrupted him. “But I don’t care about the others! As long as Ramsay lives I won’t think of anything else. I want you to help me, but I’ll do it myself if I have to.” 

Everyone kept arguing about it. Jon only wanted to fight the white walkers, Arya thought they could fight the others, but on the other hand she wouldn’t say no to killing some Boltons either since they killed her brother and betrayed her family during the red wedding. As long as she didn’t have to spend time with the Hound she seemed to think it would be great fun to retake Winterfell. Sansa on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with what she called “Jon’s fight” and only thought of fighting Ramsay Bolton, supported by the Hound. Ygritte supported Jon and was very interested in his newfound parenthood. Bran wasn’t particularly interested in anything at all, all he did was sitting quiet. Gendry wasn’t even sure he listened to their discussion. And what did Gendry do himself? Well, he sat in the middle of the room, looking at everyone and wondered who would win this argument. He would probably agree to anything as long as he got to be a part of it and was able to protect Arya in the process. She was so little and seemed to need so much protection. 

“Eh, pardon me?” he said shyly. Usually he wasn’t shy at all, but one could never be sure around these people. “But why don’t Lady Sansa and anyone who wish to join her go rally the northern lords and throw out the Boltons while the rest of us fight the others as well as we’re able until they’re done and they come back with the surviving men?” 

They all stopped in their argument and looked at him as if they had only now realised he was in the room. 

“Well… that’s not such a bad idea.” Arya said and shot him a quick smile. 

“I’m not entirely stupid, you know.” He replied. She laughed before telling him:

“Yes you are. You’re my stupid bull.” He tried not to think about the fact that she had called him _his_. Jon wasn’t entirely satisfied with the idea. 

“We need the men Sansa and Ramsay will lead to their deaths. The dead don’t care who rules the north once they come. We need to stop them and we need to do it now.” He said. Sansa wrinkled her nose as a way of showing she didn’t agree. But in the end she got her will through, as long as she promised to take Tormund with her to keep her safe. Jon didn’t think the Hound was a trustworthy protection and Sansa seemed to think the exact same thing about Tormund. Finally they agreed. Sansa would take the men she could get to fight for her and take back Winterfell and the rule of the north. Jon and the night’s watch would stay at the wall to defend the realm. 

“Then we’re agreed.” They said and Gendry nearly expected them to shake hands and swear fealty to each other. Dolorous Edd arrived and looked more gloomy than usual. He held a raven scroll in his hand. 

“A raven from Eastwatch, lord commander.” He said. “Daenerys Targaryen arrived with a fleet and three dragons. What should we do about her?” he asked. Jon frowned and looked at the scroll. 

“Did they need that much paper to write such a short message?” he asked. There was almost a smile on Edd’s face. 

“There were quite a lot of titles.” He said. “What are we going to do?” he asked again. Arya suddenly grinned and looked at Jon. 

“Let’s go meet your aunt.” She said and Gendry snorted, causing Arya to laugh and even Sansa, who seemed to never laugh, smiled. Jon only looked anguished at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you are:) Sorry for the long wait and I'll have to warn you: It'll probably be even longer. I've got final exams coming up and I'm stressing to death. Wish me luck!  
> If you have any ideas on what you want to happen, feel free to tell me and I'll see if I can fit in the story, I'm always open to new ideas:) Hope you're all fine!


	14. Jon

Chapter 14

Not all the Starks had travelled to Eastwatch; Bran had remained at Castle Black and Sansa had gone south with the Hound and Tormund, to take back the North. But Jon went, of course, and Ygritte and Arya came with him. 

Eastwatch was smaller than Castle Black, and usually didn’t house as many people either. But now the place was full of both men of the night’s watch, wildlings and people who had probably arrived with the Targaryen queen. The queen had taken up residence in the commander’s chambers, but spent most of her time in the old feast hall with her advisors. Jon had been there for days when she finally received him and his sister. 

“You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of house Targaryen, rightful heir to the Iron throne, rightful queen of the andals and the rhoynar and the first men, Protector of the seven kingdoms, the Mother of dragons, Khaleesi of the great grass sea, the Unburnt and the Breaker of chains.” A young woman said. She wasn’t from Westeros; her hair and skin was too dark for that. Next to her, on a chair with red and black drapes, sat the queen. She was beautiful, he supposed, with her silver-gold braids and violet eyes. But she could not compare to Ygritte. Ygritte was fire and fierceness, while Daenerys looked cold – even if she was a Targaryen with three dragons. 

“I’m Jon Snow, lord commander of the night’s watch.” He said. It sounded so pitiful compared to all those titles. He even found it a bit ridiculous that someone should need so many titles. Did she honestly introduce herself like that every time she met someone? Ygritte, apparently, didn’t think his title as lord commander was quite enough. She took two steps forward and proudly made up a few more titles for him. 

“He’s also the no-longer-bastard of Winterfell, the White wolf, the Reborn, Lord Snow, son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, husband to me and the Knower of nothing.” 

Jon wanted to sink to the floor when he heard it. ‘Knower of nothing’, she had said. Was that supposed to make him feel better? It made him sound like an insecure and green boy, not a grown man who had seen the army of the dead. He probably knew more than many other people did. 

“Ygritte, stop it.” He said. 

“What was that?” the queen opened her mouth for the first time since they had entered the hall. 

“Knower of nothing.” Ygritte clarified. Daenerys Targaryen shook her head. 

“No, the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. Who are you, who is the wilding and the other girl and what are you doing here claiming to be my nephew?” she asked. Ygritte opened her mouth with furrowed brows, probably to repeat his made-up titles. Jon answered before she had the chance to do it. 

“I’m Jon Snow. Ygritte is my wife and Arya is my sister. I’m here because you invited me and I’m claiming to be your nephew because apparently I am, at least according to my brother who saw it in a vision.” He said. He knew it would be hard to explain, especially since he didn’t fully understand it himself.

“A vision?” Queen Daenerys repeated sceptically. “I doubt it. That is the exact sort of talk you’d expect to hear from a bastard with no honour.” Jon shrugged, not being too concerned about it. His thoughts were about the long night and the war for the dawn, not about who is father was. 

“As you say. I’m not sure I believe in it myself, but since we’re here, there is something I would like to ask of you.” He said. When she didn’t say anything he took it as a sign to continue. “The White walkers and the army of the dead are marching on the wall. If they get through we’re all doomed. I need your help to stop them. You have a big army and – as I understand – three dragons. If you could help us we might have a chance to defeat them.” Jon knew it was a risk to ask her. He had had more than one argument with Arya and Ygritte about it. But in the end he had made the decision for himself. 

“Why should I do that? I am concerned with taking the Iron throne, not helping a bastard keep a wall of ice standing. What do I get out from it?” 

“Your life. Your people’s life. We will all die if we don’t stop them and then you will find you have no one left to rule. And besides, why have you come to the Wall in the first place? If I’m just a bastard as you claim, then surely you would have no interest in meeting me.” He pointed out. Her answer came quickly. 

“My hand told me that the northerners would never follow anyone but the Starks, even if the Boltons hold Winterfell and is warden of the north. I want you to bend the knee and swear fealty to me so the rest of the north does as well.” 

“I’m not a Stark. Perhaps you could go to Castle black and talk to my brother Bran instead. I’m sure he would be pleased to receive you, but don’t expect him to kneel.” He advised, causing Arya to start laughing. “Oh, and at the same time you’re there, you could ask him about my parentage.” He turned to leave when the queen spoke again. 

“You will not kneel then?” 

“I’m afraid not. I have no power over the northerners and since I’m a man of the night’s watch I have sworn to take no part in the politics of Westeros.” He reminded her. He turned to leave a second time, but was stopped. The queen got up from her chair and ascended the stairs. 

“Forgive me, _Jon Snow_ , but I seem to remember that your vow does also include the line ‘I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children’. Judging by the look of that it seems like you’ve broken your vows already.” She said, pointing to Ygritte and glanced at her belly, clearly visible even under the warm clothes she wore. He gave Daenerys an angry look and took Ygritte’s hand. 

“Just because I’ve broken my vows once doesn’t mean I will do it again. Besides, it’s the sort of behaviour you’d expect from _a bastard_ , right?” he said, gave her a curt nod and left the room with Ygritte and Arya, who was following behind them and doing her best to conceal her smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! Usually I never give a new year's resolution, but this year I've made an expeption: Iv'e promised to do something useful every day. And today, the useful thing happened to be finishing this chapter, so enjoy :)


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